Final Fantasy:Realms
by Master of Chronicles
Summary: A monster is destroying realms to create one called Primus where friends and enemies are interchangable. I, Makenshi, will tell you about those chosen to save the cosmos from absolute chaos. Chap 4 up!
1. Life and Death

_A/N. No, I own nothing of the Final Fantasy games, but I do have some pretty cool ideas. Whenever you see ( ) it means Tidus' point of view._

Final Fantasy: Dissidia

Realms of lives

Chapter 1

Life and Death

"Tidus, someone's at the door!"

"Ok, Yuna! I'll get it."

The blond blitzball star hurried to the entrance of their home, somewhere on one of Besaid Island's beautiful beaches in the land of Spira. He took a moment to see how he looked. After having wreslted with a dead fish trying to gut it, he looked, as well as smelled, pretty bad.

Shrugging to himself, he opened the door wide.

"Hey, little bro!" Cried out a enthusiastic Wakka, pinning Tidus in a headlock. "How' life after death? Pretty exciting, ya?"

"Ow! Knock it off!" The young man ordered, rather unsuccessfuly.

"Wakka," Lulu said calmly as she entered, holding a small bundle in her arms, "You're gonna wake up the baby."

The large, orange haired man let his friend go, but only after playfully punching him in the arm. Now released, Tidus approached Lulu. Looking down at the tiny face carefully wrapped in layers of clean blankets, the young man smiles at Vidina, whom he saw as his neice.

"She's getting cuter, all right. She gonna have a hard time with the boys growing up." Tidus grinned widely.

He lost his smile when the black mage's eyes reflected a stare of death. "Let them try."

Wakka laughed so hard he was bent over double. "I think my daugther will be a very lonely kid growing up, ya? I guess I'll just have to teach her how to be a master at Blitzball to fill in the time."

"Magic is much more practical." His wife said matter-of-factly. "No point wasting her life on a meaningless sport."

Tidus watched from what he felt like were the sidelines of a war in his own house. For a moment he thought they were going to break into a fight. But both his friends broke into smiles, and he realized they were simply teasing each other.

Yuna arrived from the back of the house, dressed in one of her elegant gowns, a bright smile on her face. She was happy to see everyone, greeting Lulu with a hug.

At seeing Wakka she said teasingly."Did you put on weight?"

The man flexed his abs, counting six total. "You know I like to keep ready for a game, Yuna . But it's true, Lulu's dinners are so good, they will do me in one day."

"Well, you're in luck today, Wakka." Tidus announced. "Because Yuna's doing the cooking tonight!"

The singer glared at him. "What does that mean?" She demanded, taking a step forward.

"Er…nothing." Tidus took a step back, a mischevious grin on his face.

He suddenly turn around and ran, but Yuna was not too far behind. Lulu and Wakka laughed as the young couple played cat and mouse around their new house, Tidus kept the dinning room, making sure the table was between himself and Yuna. None of them heard the arrival of two more guest.

"Hello everyone!" Rikku said cheerfully. "Is dinner ready?"

Seeing the scene, in which Yuna managed to grab Tidus around the legs, making him fall, Paine said flatly. "Guess we're early. The lovebirds haven't settled down yet."

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(After we had spent a little time together, eating, swapping stories ,and sharing memories, Wakka and I took a stroll down the water's edge of the Island. My friend told me that even though he doesn't believe in Yevon anyomre, the beauty of his home and the love of his family made him feel that there must be something out there worth thanking. He told me that he still prays, and he's happy that he does. Though I didn't understand him at the time, I knew that he was right about one thing. Life was beautiful.)

(Especially when Yuna was around…)

Late that night, unable to sleep because of feeling a sense of peace he rarely felt and didn't want to miss out on, Tidus looked out the windows of his house. The full moon made the sand bright, the ocean warm and inviting. Turning to Yuna, her sleeping form outlined in the dark by a radiance she seemed to posses, the young man's mind went back to a day that had passed merely weeks before.

He and Yuna were on their knees, facing the sea, holding each other's hand. Yuna was wearing a flowing dress of pure white, her headdress adorned with almost every kind of flower in Spira. Their closest friends were behind them, witnessing this once in a lifetime event.

"Do you remember what to do?" Yuna had whispered to him.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I remember…I think." He gulped nervously, looking down at himself. The only thing he was wearing different was a necklace of yellow and red flowers. Compared to Yuna, he felt underdressed.

Kimahri walked before them, the ronso's voice a deep growl in the back of his throat. "Bow your heads and say the oaths."

They did so, Tidus going first. The oaths were more like chants, forcing him to sing rather than talk. But it was well worth it. The words he spoke, promises of sacrifice, caring and cherishing, along with experssions of deep affection reminded him of the Hymn of the Fayth he sang in Zanarkand long ago, the one his father liked.

(Dad…I wish you could've been there.)

Tidus returned from that memory, his heart still warm and light. It would always be the happiest day of his life, a highlight after what seemed like years of shadow. Tidus did feel, in a way he would never admit to Wakka, blessed.

As he turned to join Yuna in sleep, a figure moving along the beach caught his eye. So he wasn't the only who couldn't sleep on this beautiful night. Peering closer, the blond blitzball star wondered who of the inhabitants of Besaid it could be. The answer gave him a start.

"Dad?"

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By the time Tidus got out of the door, the man who resembled his father was far away, his footprints in the sand being washed away by the gentle waves. Tidus ran after him, not taking the time to think. It felt like forever before he caught up.

The man had stopped and was looking out to sea, a peaceful look on his scarred face. As Tidus drew closer, the man turned to face him.

"Hey, kid. How are ya keeping up?" He said confidently.

Tidus stopped a few feet away, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Dad? How can you be here? You're…"

"Dead? Passed away? Fish bait?" Jecht chuckled lightly. "Guess I was."

"This isn't funny, Dad. What are you doing here?" Tidus ordered.

"Don't I even get a hello?" The older man said sarcastically.

"Hello! Now why are you here?!" Tidus yelled, more confused and mixed up inside than angry.

Jecht shook his head in dissapointment. "Never could learn when to backdown, could you? Heh, kinda like me."

Before Tidus could move, Jecht covered the distance between them in one step, punched him in the gut and sent him sailing into the sand. Tidus lost his breath and his ability to move, lying motionless on the ground. Calmly, Jecht approached and stood over him, a look of regret on his face.

"I love you son. I know it's too little, too late, but that's the truth of it. I just wanted you to know that, and that I'm sorry."

Tidus became aware of a light in the sky above and thought it was the dawn for a moment. But the brighter it got he realized that it was right over Besaid Island. People began emerging from their huts, looking up in the sky, wondering what in the world it could be. The wind began kicking up, the waves grew larger, and the night sky, glittering with stars only a moment before, was now covered over with dark storm clouds.

Getting to his feet, Tidus was trying to make out where the stong, orange light was coming from. What he saw stunned him. A giant, flying creature, with wings stretching far over the island and a body none too different from Sin, with the exception of a enormous eye on it's belly from which the light was coming from.

"What is that?" Tidus cried out, the wind now strong enough to nearly drown out his voice.

Jecht was also looking upwards, no cocky grin on his face, no smart remark coming out of his mouth. He only said one word. "Death."

In that moment a thin beam of light shot out of the enormous eye, hitting the center of Besaid Island. It made a sound similar to thunder, but it didn't stop. It was dark red in color, then slowly got lighter and lighter as the beam grew. Everything the beam touched disintegrated into nothing, living or not. The island began to shake violently, on the verge of collapse.

Tidus was horrified at the sight. If that thing kept it up, everything would be destroyed…everything…

No!

"Yuna!" He cried.

He was running as fast as he could, catching sight of her as she stood outside their home, looking, not in the sky, but for him. The beam was much bigger now, the mountains were gone, and now the village along with the temple was next. Yuna was crying out of fear, confusion, and loss, unable to understand why this was happening. As Tidus drew nearer, calling out her name, he caught her attention.

"Tidus." She said, catching sight of him far away by the ocean.

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(The last time I saw Yuna, she was looking right at me, afraid of what was happening. She tried to come to me, reaching out for me to be at her side. I ran as fast as I could, but it was like a nightmare; the harder I tried the slower I seemed to become. Then the beam of energy grew larger, swallowing Yuna, our friends, our home in an instant.)

(I couldn't believe it. There was no way that Yuna and the others were dead, gone after this thing simply appeared in the sky and wiped them away. I would never accept that.)

(No way!)

(NO WAY!)

_(Strong arms grabbed me, forcing me in the other direction. I didn't realize it was my old man, trying to save my life. I fought back, trying to tear free, but he would let go. I'm not sure what happened next, beause the next thing I knew we were appeared to be flying over the ocean, and I was seeing the Island of Besaid in the distance being wiped out of existence. But the beam was still getting bigger. And the more it grew, the faster it would get. It seemed like all Spira was being destroyed by this thing. I must've been in shock because I can't remember much after that.)_

(Pretty soon all was white.)

(All was gone.)

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"s..?"

….

….

"Son?"

Startled, Tidus opened his eyes and sat up with a jolt, looking around him. Jecht was by his side, making sure he was alright. His father started to say something, but he wasn't hearing him. It was with dread that Tidus realized that what he remebered hadn't been a dream. It had happened. It had all been real. Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, Vidina, Rikku and Paine, they were all dead.

"Weren't listening, eh?" Jecht let out a sigh. "Can't say I blame ya. Yer head must be pretty messed up right now."

"You-!" Tidus punched his father across the jaw, hard enough to make him stumble backwards a few steps, but not enough to make him fall. Tidus kept it up, hitting him as many times as he could, yelling. "Why'd you do that!? We were happy! Finally we get to be together and be happy, all of us! Why did you kill them? Why her? Why Yuna?! WHY!?!"

Jecht gave him a backhand, which knocked Tidus to the ground. The young man burst into tears, his head hung low to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. The older man didn't make any crybaby jokes, no mocking taunt or stabbing remark. He simply let his boy cry.

Time past, and Tidus was still drowning in his tears. He had always believed that if there was hope, anyone could battle their way through anything, stand up to everything, win no matter what…

Never had he felt so powerless, so angry, so sad in all his life. He grew quiet, his emotions stirring in a painful mix deep within him. They all gave birth to a new one, one which he never felt before but knew was similar to hate. This emotion conjured up thoughts of pain and malice, which he seemed to enjoy. Tidus was, for the first time in his life, experiencing revenge.

"Why didn't you kill me too?" He asked his father.

"What?" Jecht hadn't heard him, having lost himself in his own mind as his boy had cried.

Tidus stood up, eyes red, fists clenched, breath short. "Did you save me just so that I could feel this…this…pain! Are you getting a kinda fix out of it? Well, are you?"

Then Tidus saw his father do something so typical he thought he was going to explode with rage. His dad laughed.

"Me? Oh yeah, ya got me! I just couldn't wait to get back with payback, son! Ya figured me out, can't slip one past your all seein', all undertandin' eyes. Guess what, I ain't done either. Wanna see my next trick?"

Tidus yelled and threw himself at his father, whose sword suddenly appeared in his hand and was at Tidus' throat in a heartbeat. The blond man froze, the clod, razor sharp edge caressing his jugular.

"I ain't the villian, kid. I just saved yer life. Don't worry, I wasn't expecting a thank you."

"Why did you?"

"Look around." Jecht said dismissively. "Notice something?"

He did, all was black, pitch black, with no horizon, no sky, light source or signs of life. Other than the two of them, there was absolutly nothing else in existance. No, there was something. A thick mist, reaching halfway up their knees surrounded them, but it didn't seem to stretch out for more than a half-dozen meters.

"Where are we?" Tidus asked in a soft voice.

His father, instead of answering, looked upward. Tidus did the same same sucked in a breath when he saw what it was. A man adorned in pure white, his cloak, shirt, pants, hair and all, floated above them. Three large, gray horns protruded from his forhead, with two smaller ones inbetween. He had an odd sword strapped to the back of his waist, and a belt holding a series of small glass bottles, each containing what looked like harvested mist. A dark gray mask concealed his nose and the lower part of his face. He looked intimidating, being high above them, his arms crossed over his chest, his blue eyes seeming to burn with a power unknown to either father or son.

"I am Makenshi." The man declared. "And I am here to save your world."

_A/N I know this isn't typical Dissidia material. Think of it was a retelling of the story. While waiting for the game I guessed at what the plot could be. When the game was released with a cool sotry of it's own, I thought it would be cool to write mine. For those of you unfimiliar with the name Makenshi, he's from the tv series Final Fantasy: Unlimited. He was my favorite. _

_I'll try to update often. But it will be a challenge. Please review and give me your thoughts, good or bad. _


	2. Man of Mists

_A/N In this chapter I will be jumping from place to place, but I'll try to keep it from getting too confusing. Thank you for your patience, and enjoy. _

Chapter 2

Man of Mists

**FFVII**

Makenshi remained hovering in the air, looking down upon those banished from their own world. Nothing could be read behind his eyes, no one was able to discern was he was pondering by his face, it was so well devoid of emotions. The only thing they could see was that he was the origin of the gathering mist which seemed to flow off his body.

Below him stood two people, a blond young man and a pretty, dark haired woman. Both were looking up at him, and though he could clearly see that they were confused, he saw no hint of fear.

(That is good. I have made my choice well.) He thought approvingly.

"Who are you?" The young man demanded, an enormous blade held tightly in his hands, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"Wait, Cloud. He might give us some answers."

Unwillingly, Cloud relaxed, but the buster sword remained firm in his hand. Tifa, on the other hand, approached the white man, her amber eyes fixed on his own.

"Are you the one who attacked our world?"

"I am not." Makenshi answered, slowly descending until his feet noiselessly touched an invisible surface on which they all stood. "But I am not so different from the one who did."

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked. "You look nothing like that monster that suddenly appeared in our sky."

"He means like me and Sephiroth." Cloud said as he came and stood by her. "We linked in certain ways, but he tries to end destroys, whereas I fight to save it. Am I right, M…Makenshi was it?"

The man clad in white nodded in agreement. "He's my kin, you could say, my brother. We are as different as your night and day, yet we occupy the same heavens."

"Why is he killing our planet?" Tifa asked, her voice stressed. "Why did he destroy the lifestream? Without it all life will die!"

If her words affected him, Makenshi did not show it. He merely closed his eyes in what seemed like exagerated patience.

"I shall show you." He said.

He reached for a bottle as his belt with his left hand and hurled it in the air as his sword, with a life of it's own, detached itself from his belt and, as if by an invisible hand, sliced the bottle open cleanly in two. The bottle released a mist, which then engulfed everything. Cloud and Tifa held hands, unable to see each other. Only Makenshi remained perfectly visible by some means they did not understand.

Then all cleared as a violent wind blew the mist away, revealing to the couple that they were on a strange planet devoid of life. All Cloud and Tifa could see around them was rock, sand and blowing dust. But that wasn't all. Looking overhead, the couple saw the creature that they had seen punch a hole in the ground on their own planet by releasing a beam of red light from it's eye which afterwards absorbed all the lifestream. It's great wings which looked like fins of a whale stretched for hundreds of miles, it's central body a hidious mass of flesh, muscle and bone. The giant eye was directly over head, glowing with unatural light. When it fired, Cloud and Tifa braced for the shock.

"Don't be afraid." Makenshi explained. "For this is a memory of long ago. It can do no harm."

Indeed they felt nothing as the beam harmlessly passed them by. However they saw the earth beneath them begin to fall away into nothingness, as if it were hollow. Soon the whole planet was collapsing around them.

"Soil is it's power." The mysterious man said. "For eons he has traveled the cosmos, feeding on worlds long dead. This is his purpose, and he does it well."

The planet was gone now, consumed by the collosal creature, leaving all three of them standing in the vacuum of empty space. Only a few floating rocks and wisps of dust remained of what just a moment ago had been an enormous planet. It began to leave, great wings beating slowy, flying off into the star filled sky, searching for another world. The couple were awed by it's sheer size and power, unable to accept that such a large being could exist. Soon it was out of sight, dwarfed by the cosmos which surrounded it.

"Is…is it evil?" Tifa asked.

"No. No more that a raging fire or a thunderous storm. He is natural, a normal living thing."

"What are you telling us?" Cloud demended, still holding Tifa protectively as they stood in open space. "Are you saying that its attack on our homeworld was part of the great order of things, and that we should simply accept it? Because we can't do that."

All the stars, suns, and planets vanished into mist and returned into a new glass bottle Makanshi was holding, ending the illusion. The man quietly slipped it back on his belt before replying.

"He is not a heartless creature. Never would he harm life in any form, be it sentient or otherwise."

"Then how do you explain what he did to us?" Tifa said.

"…"

"Do you even know?" Cloud asked, irritated.

For the first time, Makenshi hesitated. "I have…concluded that he is being held captive, forced to act against his will."

Tifa frowned, noticing something Cloud apparently didn't. She sensed a deep concern from the otherwise cold man. "How can you be sure?"

"Because," Makenshi said, his eyes staring off into a distance place, "I can hear his cries of pain."

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**FFVIII**

He couldn't believe that at face value. He had seen the creature, the terrible power it wielded, and the devestation it left in its wake. Having fought many times in his life, and having encountered montrous beings that still crawled through his head late at night, Squall Leonhart knew evil when it reared it's ugly head. He could still remember what it had done to his world.

Only hours before…

He and Zell had come running to their friends. Amongst the endless strewn bodies that laid everywhere, Squall was able to findd Rinoa. But was like everyone else, lying on the ground, motionless and cold. Her lovely eyes were open, but they were wide and empty.

"Wake up! Come on, baby, it's me, snap out of it!" He cradled her in his arms, looking into her face. "Please, don't do this to me."

Zell came running, twicthy and nervous as though he had seen an army of zombies.

"All of them, man. Every last one! Their just laying there pop-eyed. I can't even get the hotdog-stand guy's attention. Irvine, Selphie…every last one…"

"Except us." Squall pointed out flatly.

"Yeah…why? How come we aren't on the fritz?"

Squall had looked up to the alien monster that filled the heavens. It had unleashed a bright light of some kind that had made everything so bright Squall was blinded. When he and Zell were able to see again, everyone else were strewn about, eyes open, but as lifeless as stones. He could feel it deep inside, especially with Rinoa in his arms. She felt like an empty shell.

"We have to kill it and save them, Zell." Squall said with determination.

"Oh yeah? What do you suggest? Politely ask if it can go and commit suicide? Because we sure as heck can't hurt it."

"We'll use an airship. Come on!"

He and Zell boarded the nearest airship they could find and lauched after it.

As the flew towards it, the real size of the creature dawned on them.

"That sucker's huge! Half the length of the city…no, more then the city! Whoa!" Zell whistled. "Turn this thing around, Squall. Even if we crashed into it loaded with tons of explosives, we would have to send a letter telling it we crashed into it with tons of explosives. Squall? Squall!"

Squall wasn't hearing his friend, not even to the voice inside him which was telling him how stupid he was acting. It took Rinoa and everyone else away. It was going to pay.

"I don't care anymore." He said, hitting full throttle.

Zell dashed for him, yelling for him to stop, but Squall was already waiting for the final impact. It never came. With a flash gone was the giant beast, gone was the airship, and gone was their world. The next moment they met Makenshi who explained what had happened.

"It was admirable how you were ready to give your lives to slay the thing which threatened your loved ones." Makenshi said afterwards. "But it would've been a mere waste of equipment and lives."

"Told ya." Zell murmured.

"Fine. Tell me how to kill it and we'll end this."

"It has a name." The man of mist said, surprising the others. "Black Wind. It is not evil."

"Sounds evil to me." The tattooed man remarked, crossing his strong arms arcoss his chest. "You sure we can't kill it?"

"His title bears little on who he is. It merely discribes-"

"I don't care what it means, or what it discribes, or even that it has a name!" Squall blurted out in anger. "Why save us if you have no intention to help us fight it?"

"As I told you a moment ago, I believe it's under control of someone else. They are the ones who must be stopped."

"Won't destroying this cosmic monster stop this other person?" Zell suggested.

Makenshi slowly shook his head. "Don't you understand? From your world Black Wind stole the identities of everyone; their emotions, memories and knowledge. But you are not the only people to suffer great loss. Black Wind has gone to many worlds in many times, and he has taken many things from many places. There are a hand full of others that have been spared as you were and who will join you to get back what was wrongly taken. If you were to kill Black Wind, then all that has been stolen will vanish with him, and you'll never restore your worlds. Only by freeing Black Wind can you save everyone."

They stood in silence, the gravity of what as happening sinking into them. They had seen the might of this being Makenshi called the Black Wind. If there indeed was some other who controlled it, as the man of mists suspected, what kind of power did they posses?

(More imporantly, does Zell and I stand any chance at saving Rinoa and the others?)

The young man could only wonder.

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**FFIX**

"Are they safe?"

That was all that was important. It was hard to understand, let alone accept what Black Wind was, and that Mankenshi was something like it, but above all else, the important thing was to know if they were ok..

The man in white nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Yes, Zidane Tribal. The children who were taken from your world of Giga are indeed safe. Thay had, just as you've seen, vanished after the red energy beam touched them. They are unhurt."

"Good!" Garnet sighed with relief, her hands resting on her heart. "We were so worried that they might be dead. All those anxious mothers and fathers…"

Zidane placed a comforting hand on her. "Don't sweat it, Dagger. We now have the chance to save them."

The boy in his mid teens looked at the mysterious man who had brought them to a place which was completely empty save for themselves and a heavy blanket of fog. The man was imposing, that was for sure, but the thief was confident he wasn't the enemy.

"You said others will be joining us. When?"

"Shortly." Makenshi's face was mostly covered by his mask, but Garnet swore she saw his eyes glint with a smile. "But first, let me reunite you with a friend."

"Reunite…?" Zidane said softly.

"Do you mean…?" Garnet began, just as quietly.

They heard someone approaching from nearby, quiet, gently footsteps which could be discribed as hesitant. A shape began emerging from the mist. At first the two teenagers thought it was a large mushroom, but then were stunned when the person began clear as day.

"H-hey guys." Vivi said timidly. "Are you doing okay?"

Zidane leapt through the air, wrapping his arms around his old friend in a crushing embrace, all the time cheering. "Vivi! You're back! You're back! Alive and well! Look at you!"

The little black mage would've answered, if he could only breath. Garnet joined in, kissing Vivi on the cheek, welcoming him back. For once, the mage was grateful his large hat kept the others from seeing his face were all celebrating his return.

"How is this possible?" Zidane asked Makenshi a few moments later.

"It will be difficult to explain, but I will try." Makenshi began. "Black Wind disturbed the very fabric of reality traveling to the different worlds and spaces. This as allowed me to break a few laws myself. From each world Black Wind has distrubed, I have been able to fit two people through a sort of crack, we'll say, and bring you here. Think of this place as a realm outside reality. A oasis in the desert of void. The crack allows me to choose not only those existing, but also those who have existed, but only if the crack is large enough. I have done it before. However, your world was special."

"Really?" Garnet asked. "How?"

And for the first time, the man of mists smiled. He pointed to her and Zidane. "The both your hearts share one beat. They are in perfect harmony as your affections for each other grow. It's rare so find such love, and it permitted me to choose another widen the crack, so I chose him."

Zidane and Garnet looked at each other, dazed at what Makenshi told them. They each felt their own warm, beating hearts.

"Perfect harmony?" Zidane whispered. "Dagger, I…"

He couldn't continue after she smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with beauty. He though he was going to melt on the spot. In that very second Zidane was ready to save each and every single world in the cosmos of space and time single-handedly.

"What are we waiting for!?" Zidane cried out with excitement, Garnet in one arm and Vivi in the other. "Let's go!"

"Very well." Makenshi said.

The man began to rise again, the mist getting thicker and thicker the more he rose. Soon nothing could be seen, and all was quiet. When Makenshi spoke again, his voice seemed to come from every direction.

"Let's join the others, then your journey shall began."

_A/N Originally, when Dissidia was first announced to be released, I hoped that all characters from each game would be available. he he, not so. Well, why not do that in my story? I choose FFVII through FFX simply because they are the most recent. Thanks for suffering through this chapter, the next will be less confusing. Please review your thoughts. Thank you. _


	3. The Garden

A/N Thanks for the wait. This is the longest chapter yet. A little bit of rambling, but it's needed to develop character. The problem of having alot of characters is that you have to write a lot of stuff.

I admit as to not having played Dissidia, and I only own about half the games, but believe me when I say I make research on it as much as I can.

Chapter 3

The Garden

Makenshi, a being cosmic in nature and able to exist in many realities at once if he so wished, used his power to unite all those he had saved from the fate caused by his 'brother', Black Wind. For him it was easy, like picking up stones from small pools of water left behind after a heavy rain. He brought them all together into a small pocket of reality which he called The Way.

Their surrounding reminded Garnet of the gardens behind the castle of Alexandria, full of trees with pink blossoms, statues of child like angels, and many flower beds. The grass was short and green, the air full of birds, butterflies, and other small creatures. One humming bird flew in close to inspect them, showing no natural fear of humans. Tifa tentatively reached out to touch it, her finger gently feeling the soft feathers of it's belly. It then zoomed in close to her face, stayed for a moment, then zipped away. All the animals seemed to take an interest in the visitors, one squirrel even made itself comfortable in Zell's hair.

"Hey! Get off!" He cried out. "Yer messin' up my cut!"

As he attempted to shoo the little critter off, more of the squirrel's family hopped on to join it.

"What is this place?" Zidane asked, awed like everyone else.

The man of mists looked up into the bright blue sky, the sun rising slowly in the east. "This is The Way, a place that will bring you to many places."

"Greeeeat." Tidus mumbled. "More mumbo jumbo."

Makenshi continued. "This garden has many paths in it, each one leading to another place, another time. It is my duty to protect this place from others who would wish to misuse it."

Vivi gaped. "You mean you _live_ here?"

"If you wish."

"Does the planet eater, Black Wind, use this place to travel from realm to realm?" Asked Squall. "Because if he did, you're not doing a very good job."

The others sensed the young man's hostility, and grew somewhat uncomfortable. Only Jecht replied, and very sharply.

"Look around at this place, kid. You honestly think a freakin' space whale the size of half a planet could move around in this tiny playground?" He then looked at Makenshi. "Is this guy the best you could get from his world?"

"Hey!" Squall shouted. "From what we have been told, that thing shouldn't have been able to do what it did, screwing around with our worlds. Someone messed up, and frankly I don't trust this guy."

He jerked a thumb in Makenshi's direction.

A silence fell over all of them. Up until then they had all accepted what Makenshi had told them at face value, but each of them had experience which gave them a healthy sense of doubt.

Cloud spoke up first. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

The cosmic being looked at them with a piercing gaze. For a moment the sky seemed to darken, the animals grew silent, even the air grew heavy. It flashed across their minds that perhaps their doubts were well founded, that Makenshi was the real enemy. However the moment passed, as though it never happened.

When the man of mists spoke, his voice was smooth and stone cold. "I exist to ensure balance. There is none of that now. Many realms, many realities of which you would never believe have been ravaged or completely destroyed by the secret power behind Black Wind, such as Tidus and Jecht's…"

The blitzball player cast his eyes low to the ground.

Makenshi continued. "I shall do all I can to restore Cosmos."

"Restore Comos?" Zell echoed. "You mean restore **the** cosmos, right?"

The man dressed in whites and grays simply shook his head. "I meant what I said."

"So why us?" Tidus asked calmly, far too calmly for a young man who lost everything. "Why can't you simply stop Black Wind and force him to fix it?"

"I am being repelled." He explained. "A force I neither know or understand is preventing me from entering into Primus. Just sending all of you will drain me for some time."

"Is Primus a reality?" Tifa wondered.

"Yes. It is named such because all that has been taken from the many realms has been converged into one reality, one primary world. If Black Wind continues to pillage, it will soon be the only world that will exist."

The shock of the sudden revelation came crashing down on them like a heavy boulder. They all let out a stunned breath, almost unable to fathom such an outcome.

"You mean that if we fail, that's it? It's all over for…for everyone!?" Zidane said, in a near panic. "You expect us to do it alone!?!"

Makenshi didn't bat an eye. "Yes."

"Oh, man." Zell muttered softly, looking at Squall. "We're more screwed than a turkey on thanksgiving, man."

Jecht, as affected as everyone else, kept his feeling inside and didn't reveal his thoughts on the matter. He took a step closer to Makenshi, hand on the hilt of his black sword, standing tall. "What do we have to do?"

"Not to kill Black Wind." Makenshi answered. "That will simply wipe everything he stole out of existence. Find who is controlling him, that is the one that must be stopped. Afterwards, if you are successful, I and Black Wind will bring everything to it's proper place. However, such a person must have more power that either I or my brother, and surely cannot be defeated by dumb brute strength."

Squall let out a sigh of impatience. "Well then, that rules us out. How do you think we fight? By using force. I don't try to _think_ my enemies to death. I run them through with my sword."

"I merely was stating that you must be cautious. Is it not true that you must find the weaknesses of your foe before engaging them in battle?"

Squall had no other choice that to agree. Makenshi waited for a moment, giving the others an opportunity to speak. None did, so he continued.

"As you travel you will meet others from different realms. Some might be lost as to who they are and where they are. Some will be enemies, other friends. Find as many as you can that will help you, but be careful. Trusted shouldn't be something easily given. And one more thing. I have brought back Jecht and Vivi due to the cracks in the continuim, but if you die on Primus I cannot save you. Please be vigilant and don't act impulsively. I have witnessed that the fool is the first to fall in battle."

Cloud nodded to the advice, something he had witnessed first hand on many a battle field. The others, confident that Makenshi was being honest with them, mentally prepared for the task ahead. It went without saying that none of them truly felt equal to the task.

If anything, Makenshi wasn't the hard-hearted type. He understood their fears, probably more so then they themselves. Before sending them off he suggested that they take one night to rest. Tidus and Squall didn't think it was a good idea, since each minute that passed was more time for Black Wind to cause even more havoc. But the traveler of worlds told them that while in The Way time didn't flow, that years could be spent there and not even a fraction would go by anywhere else.

"As I have mentioned before, you cannot grasp everything. For now, rest. You have all had a trying day."

Reluctantly they agreed. Makenshi seemed to posses the power to make the sun move as he willed, and though it had remained still up until that moment, it began following it's normal course. It took her a moment, but Garnet realized that it couldn't be the same sun she knew back on her world, or that it was going from east to west. In The Way, everything was different.

That night, after eating berries and fruits they found in the trees and bushes, they built a fire, sat around it and talked. They had never met before, and therefore reasoned that if they were to save all existence together, they mind as well get to know each other. They each spoke of home, friends, family. Each had lived through adventures, some exotic, others more akin to nightmares. Some like Zidane, Zell, Tifa and Garnet opened up rather well. Cloud was slightly shy, so was Vivi. Jecht kept eating and listened, laughing at the right times, giving a remark or two, even cracked a joke.

"Hey. What do you get when you cross and elephant and a rhino? Eliphino!"

The others stared.

"Eliphino…hell if I know. Don't you get it?"

"Excuse me." Vivi said timidly, "But what is a 'rino'?"

The others exploded with laughter.

Squall never said a word.

Tidus quietly left some time after sunset and wandered into the lush garden alone. After the day's events, he just wanted to be alone. As he walked under the boughs and leaves of many types of trees, the moonlight flickering through ever now and again, his memories went back to his and Yuna's first kiss, that night in the pool full of pyroflies. He remembered every single sensation of her lips touching his, how she smiled and wrapped her arms around him, trusting him with an open heart. Just thinking about her made his heart beat faster. He still had that feeling every time he kissed her afterwards. With heartache he realized he would never experience that again.

"You can't keep doing this." Squall said from behind, his words dragging Tidus back to the present.

"Leave me alone." Tidus started to walk away.

"You want to get her back?" The scarred man called out after him. "You have to be strong from the inside. Don't get all mopey and start playing a sad tune, because you aren't the only one who's hurt, pal. My girl's gone too."

Tidus didn't know that. He realized that since he hadn't listened to the others at the fire he didn't know anything about the others. They also suffered. "Did she die?"

"…Something like that."

"Oh really? Did she look at you as death was swallowing her whole? Did she call out your name, reached out to you for help, believing that you could rush by her side and sav her?! Was she… was she…"

Tears streamed down his face, Tidus fell to his knees sobbing. Squall stared at him evenly, his mouth set in a thin line.

"You were going to be a father, weren't you?" He said.

"She had just found out two days ago, and told me that night. I was…going to tell our friends in a week. But now it's all gone. All of it."

Squall approached him, towering above his hunched figure. "You sound like a man who's given up."

Tidus glared at him, his red eyes burning. Even the cool midnight air didn't keep his blood from boiling. "We don't stand a chance, and you know it."

The fist Squall connected to Tidus' jaw sent his head snapping back. Tidus hit the ground like a bag of dirt, his face felt numb, and his vision disoriented so much he thought he fell into a gigantic whirlpool of trees, leaves and darkness. After a moment he got his head clear again and he laughed. It was the second time in one day that he was punched by someone. Squall was saying something to him, but whatever it was Tidus couldn't hear. It didn't matter, since he didn't feel like talking.

Squall was close enough for Tidus to kick him in the gut. Squall stumbled back, but didn't fall. By the look in his eyes, Tidus guessed he was surprised. Face still throbbing, the blitzball star got to his feet, his water blue sword in hand.

The dark haired man opposite him glanced at the sword Wakka had given to him years earlier, intrigued at how something that looked like glass could ever hold up to steel. Squall simply shrugged, drew his gunblade in one quick motion, raising it at eye level.

"First blood." Squall said.

"Betcha!" Tidus agreed, then charged Leonhart with his Spiral Cut maneuver.

As the strike was countered, and the two looked at each other, boyish smiles came upon their faces.

Squall followed through, his sword blurring in the night, connecting with Tidus blow for blow. Tidus was more acrobatics in his style, using flips and jumps to fight. Squall wasn't distracted by such a display, and held his own just fine. The sounds of the duel reached the campfire, drawing attention.

"What the heck?" Zell said out loud.

"Who's doing that?" Zidane asked.

Cloud took a look around. "Squall and Tidus, most likely. Talking isn't their thing, I guess."

Tifa put down an apple she had been enjoying and stood up, stretching her arms and legs. "I think it's a great idea to have a little exercise before bed. What do you think Cloud? A little one on one?"

"Huh? You want me to fight you with the buster sword?" He asked, slightly surprised.

"Only if you really think you'll need it." She smiled slyly.

She took him by the hand and led him off, Cloud looking a little uncertain about fighting his friend. The others stared on. Once they were safely away, they begun, Cloud having a clear advantage with his sword. Tifa tried to disarm him many times, by kicks and grapples, but Cloud's basic training with hand to hand combat saved him from Tifa's attempts.

"Kinda one sided, isn't it?" He said after a while, when Tifa's sides were heaving for breath.

"Like fighting a wall." She then paused for a moment, thinking. "I think that if I'm going to be useful at all in trying to save all existence, I should learn how to use a weapon."

Cloud frowned. "But it takes years to learn how to master a weapon before you can be any good at it. If you go in a fight inexperienced your just as liable to hurt yourself."

"Well," Tifa said with a hint of impatience, hurt that Cloud had such little confidence in her. "What would you suggest?"

"Prehaps I can help you with that." Makenshi materialized as if by magic, his flowing cape moving even though wind was absent. "You are not yet in Primus, therefore I can still help equip you for battle."

He open the palm of his left hand, and slowly a tiny ball of mist formed, growing larger until it was the size of a small child. "I can summon any weapon for you from this. The other have what they need, and Zell has chosen a shotgun. What would you like?"

Before she could choose, Cloud had something to tell her. "Tifa, I won't lie to you. Don't underestimate your prowess in martial arts. I'm sure you could kick Zell's butt up and down this garden. It would be better if you choose something more your style."

"Like what?" Tifa asked.

"Like this?" Makenshi said, a weapon he had summoned hovering before them.

Tifa looked and gasped, recognizing it immediately. Reaching out and grabbing it firmly, making sure it was real, Tifa looked back to Cloud. His face was devoid of any emotion, which she knew meant he was bottling them up inside.

"Arieth's staff." She said sadly. "I can't wield this. It was hers."

Makenshi smiled at her. "Believe me when I say she doesn't mind."

"You mean, you can speak to her?" Cloud asked, a little wide-eyed.

"I can exist in many places and times." He answered, looking at each of them in turn. He then gestured to the staff, "I am sure this is what Cloud was speaking of. Now I must leave. Please make sure to get some sleep. Your journey begins soon."

For the next few hours Tifa was learning the basics of staff fighting under Cloud's direction. Cloud was certain that combined with her flexibility, agility and strength she would soon be able to hold her own against anyone. When they finally became exhausted they returned to the campfire, only to find it abandoned. Nearby sounds told the couple that the others were still training. Cloud got more wood while Tifa poked the fire for hot embers and in minutes they were sitting together in front of a warm fire. Tifa fell asleep on Cloud's shoulder after a moment, but he was too worried to rest, his mind struggling with the enormous task they were facing.

"End of everything keepin' ya up, gel head?" Zell said loudly, walking in on them from out of nowhere. He was sweating beads, a recently used shotgun in his grip. "Do ya like it? Belongs to a friend of mine. I'd figure having a little more firepower than a kung fu punch would come in handy. Did yer girl get anything?"

Cloud turned red. "She's not my girl."

Zell grinned broadly. At that moment Squall, Jecht and Tidus returned, the latter having a small cut on his right cheek. Squall had won their duel, but each of them received more than a fair share of bruises. Almost immediately afterwards Tidus' father found them and suggested that they both took him on for a change.

"The man's a demon." Squall said, wiping off a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Pah! You kids are pampered. I could've taken you two and the spiky guy over there."

"Um…my name is Cloud."

"Whatever your name is, at least you've got a man's sword." Jecht pointed to the Buster sword. He then pulled out his own and with a heavy thud drove it into the ground. "A beauty, ain't she? That's a real blade, unlike what my dinky son has over here."

"I would remind you, dad, that I used this sword to kick your butt." Tidus said defensively.

"That's right." The older man agreed. "You and ,what, six of your friends? Weaklings had to team up on me."

"You were ten stories high!"

"What was?" Zidane asked, coming back from the woods with Garnet and Vivi, having no clue as to the conversation.

As Tidus opened his mouth to answer, the princess of Alexandria saw the cut on his face and hurried over.

"What happened? Were you guys trying to kill each other?" She demanded, her young voice full of concern.

Squall groaned. "Oh, please. It was just some friendly sparing."

Garnet whipped her head around at him, her eyes glaring like flame. "You call slicing each other 'friendly'? Be a little more responsible and stop acting like boys!"

Zidane winced, half expecting the leather dressed cool guy with the scar to pull out his equally awesome sword and kill Dagger for scolding him, setting an example to anyone else who would cross him. But instead Squall did something no one expected. He backed off and muttered an apology. Almost everyone's eyebrows went up in surprise. It seemed that despite her size, Garnet could still be intimidating.

Of course, that wasn't the case.

The truth came out later when everyone went to sleep, laying on the soft, warm grass. Squall was staring up at the sky, trying to see beyond the stars, not sure what he was looking for.

Zell's none too quiet voice reached him. "You up?"

"Yeah."

"Me too."

Squall rolled his eyes. "What is it, Zell?"

His friend didn't answer right away, which meant it was going to be a personal question. "Why didn't you tear that girl's head off after she read the riot act to you? Losing your backbone?"

_Yep, it's personal alright._ "I just didn't feel like arguing." He lied.

"It's because she reminded you of Rinoa, didn't she?" Zell said, saying outloud what they both knew. "Hey, even the other one, Tifa? She looks a little like Rinoa too. All three of them long dark hair and cute."

Squall didn't say anything to that. He decided to roll over and get some sleep. Zell kept the dialogue going for another five minutes until he realized he was talking to himself. So he decided to do the same. By midnight the only person still up was Vivi, the little black mage looking up at the moon. His soft, yellow eyes seemed to glow beneath his wizard hat, admiring the view.

"I wonder if anyone lives there?" He said, turning around to Zidane, who was snoring next to Garnet. "Oops. Guess I better keep quiet. Everyone has so much to do, I don't want to be in the way. I just hope that, after we reach Primus tomorrow, I'll be able to help them…I really do."

With that, the young mage laid his head down, closed his eyes and went to sleep.

A/N Thanks for reading. Please leave a review. Next chapter "Paladin's Island" coming soon.


	4. Isle Of The Eternal Storm

Greetings.

I am Queen Garnet of Alexandria, and my world has been torn apart.

A little less than a day ago a giant behemoth named Black Wind descended in the sky from the stars and stole all the children that lived in my lands and those beyond. Helpless, all I could do was watch as the creature's power in the form of red light envelope boys and girls, whisking them away right from their parents arms. As their ruler it is my duty to get them back.

Along with Zidane, the tailed thief who attempted to kidnap me only a short while ago, I was brought to another place by a mysterious man of mist named Makenshi. He told me that many worlds have suffered just as mine has, some having been wiped out completely, to be used for the creation of a reality called Primus. He promised us a way to restore everything, but also told us that if we failed, all would die.

Why was I chosen? I can't begin to know. I'm a simple girl, who became a princess, a summoner, a queen, and now a traveler of realms.

I am afraid of what is and what is to come. Where can I find the strength to face it?

Realms Chapter 4

Isle Of The Eternal Storm

"Can you feel them?" She asked, her voice softer than an evening's breeze.

He cast his eyes downward, too tired to answer back, too weary to bother putting up any sort of defense. She laughed, a thrilling, child like laugh that sounded perfectly innocent. The touch of her presence grew stronger the closer she drew near to him, delicate looking arms wrapping around his strong shoulders, resting her head on the back of his neck.

"Still depressed?" She asked. She sounded honest, but an underlining tone of superiority tainted even her most intimate voice. "You so used to love being with me on the hunt. Don't you remember, all those times we were together, doing the will of the goddess? The moments we shared, the blood we spilt, the love we felt, has it all been forgotten?"

He lifted up his head, seeing the sky covered with dark clouds across the entire horizon. "I remember, Cloud of Darkness. Those days have not been lost."

Yet his own heart told him it was wrong. What she said was true, but it also felt like a lie of the deepest sort. What was he to believe? His heart or his memories. Seemingly able to feel his inner conflict, the woman known as Darkness tightened her embrace to the point that it almost hurt to be in her arms.

"It matters not, my love. More have come. More will die. You will feel it once again, as we watch the decay of their remains."

Releasing him, she rose into the air effortlessly, eyes bright with anticipation, fingers tingling with expectation. He lifted his gaze to see her, watch as she called forth lighting and rain from the darkened skies, the crash of thunder rendering him nearly deaf. A part of him began to feel as she did, yet the other was thoroughly appalled. Yet the more he stared, the strong he could feel a great passion. It began to affect him physically, running through him like foreign energy. Darkness was almost a speck in the sky, her body the only source of constant light in the storm. Creatures on her back, like vipers, hissed loudly, twitching uncontrollably.

The rain began to fall, hard and thick. The ground on which he was standing was soon drenched, causing little streams to spill down the face on the mountain on which they dwelt. He was completely clad in black, from the spiked helm on his head to the iron boot on his foot. In his hands was a blade of the darkest red, the weapon screaming in his mind for violence. The opposing part within him was now all but gone, drowned out by nothing but void.

The woman descended, a twisted smile on her pale lips, her outstretched hands cracking with power.

"Come, my dark knight." She whispered in his ear. "The master of all things calls us to do his biding."

"Yes, my beloved." Cecil replied, his voice warped by his mask. "Let us answer to death."

xxxxxxx

"Couldn't have picked a better spot." Zell chimed as he looked upwards, gallons of rain falling down upon the group.

"We need to find shelter quickly!" Squall called out over the howling wind. "In this cold we'll be in bad shape fast."

The storm whipped at all of them, like an enemy. Instinctively huddling together, looking around for anything that would shelter them. But the terrain provided little of anything. They were on a beach, with few tree to speak of. Waves crashed against the sands, sometimes reaching their feet. With all the lightning, rain, and swirling clouds, it was hard to get ones bearings. Fortunately one in the group did.

"This way!" Tidus cried, motioning to the others to follow him.

He took off at a run that wasn't too fast but steady. He was constantly looking around, eyes wide in disbelief. Garnet could see his surprise and began looking around as well. But nothing out of the ordinary was in sight. What was he seeing that she couldn't? A few minutes later Zidane pointed ahead of them.

"Look! We'll be safe in that cave!"

A large rock mass loomed ahead, hazy at first, but soon became clearly visible. All along it's sides grew vines and plants, crabs lodging themselves in whatever cracks they could find. And almost right in the middle was a dark hole, large enough for three full grown men to walk in side by side. Tidus increased his speed, wanting to get out of the bone-chilling rain as fast as possible. After about five minutes of running, they were all inside.

While the cave provided shelter from the rain, it did nothing for the cold. Shivering, Garnet, Vivi, and Zidane pressed close together for warmth. Tifa was huddled against Cloud, her lips blue. Even Squall, Jecht, and Tidus were in close proximity of each other. Zell, who was already sneezing, went deeper into the cave for firewood.

"W-w-what is this p-place?" Vivi asked, eyes squeezed shut, his clothes dripping wet.

"Exactly what Makenshi told us." Jecht was looking outside, up in the sky. "The beginning."

A few hours earlier, after a long, restful night in the garden, the group listened as the man of mists stood before them, his eyes sharp, and his voice cool as steel. It was impossible not to feel a sense of foreboding, almost like a death sentence. But, despite his lack of emotion, Makenshi's voice did have a soothing effect.

He had been standing on a path made of flat stones which lead deeper into The Way. A small body of fog surrounded him, like an aura. His arms were crossed over his chest, standing as straight and still as statue.

"Take this path until you enter Primus. You will know once you've arrived. Be cautious, for the dangers that lay there are unknown, even to me. If malice were to befall you, I cannot bring you back as I did Vivi and Jecht."

"Ya hear that, son?" Jecht nudged Tidus. "No acting stupid."

"Shut up, dad." The young man growled.

Makenshi continued, "Many people now dwell in Primus, from all the realms that have been dismantled. And most of them will not be as they once were, for the power that forced them from their homes has warped their very being."

With that he began to fade away, just like mist in the early morning, but not before getting in one last word.

"Please." He said, "Take care."

And then he was gone.

They followed the path, and what they thought would only be a few minutes became several hours, when they were sudden caught up in the storm with no notice.

Now, trying not to die from hypothermia at the very start of their journey, the group of adventurers were trying to start a fire. Zell returned from venturing deep in the cave, informing them that what he had found.

"Thing must go for miles, I was too scared to go any further." He said, his whole body trembling. "And it gets colder the deeper you go!"

"Who cares?" Snapped Zidane. "Did you find anything?"

"Yeah." The blond man said heatedly. "More cave!"

"Don't start!" Squall cut in. "Last thing we need is this. Priority one is fire, then food. Any ideas?"

A quick moment of silence.

Garnet spoke first, still huddled close to her friends. "Vivi can cast fire. I'm sure if we found wood, even wet wood, he could light it."

Squall looked squarely at the little mage. "Well, can you?"

"Umm…I think…I mean, I guess I could…you know…try…" Vivi was uncomfortable under the gaze of the SeeD graduate.

Leonhart sighed impatiently. "That will have to do. Zell, you and Tidus got out and get whatever wood you can find. I don't care if it's drift wood, and come back. Me and Cloud will go look for food."

"Actually." Cloud interrupted. "I think Jecht and I could cut down one of those trees from where we came. Our swords are big enough for the job. In a few minutes we could get one down and chop it up."

"I'll get the food." Tidus said. "I know where to find some."

"What do you mean you know where?" Zell said loudly.

"Because I know this place." Tidus said, his voice somewhat strained. "This is Besaid Island, my home."

The others only stared.

"I mean _was_my home." The blitzball player's eyes began to redden.

The only sounds to be heard were thunder and the wind, drowning out the rest of the world. Without another word Tidus stepped out of the cave right back into the cold rain. He acted as though he felt nothing, looking down along the beach, his eyes as hard as the rocks they were sheltering under. He then turned toward inland and hurried off to a place he alone knew.

"I had wondered why he looked surprised as we ran along the water's edge." Garnet said after a moment. She looked up at her boyfriend. "Will he be ok?"

Zidane could only shrug. He had never been in Tidus' position, and prayed he never would be.

Squall muttered, "He better be. We don't have time for emotional baggage."

"Dude, chill." Zell said in a hushed voice. "You weren't thinking straight when you drove an airship with us in it right into that gigantic space whale, remember?"

Squall ignored the comment.

Cloud stood up, hoisting the buster sword over his shoulder. "All I know is that I've had enough of this chill. Are you coming, Jecht?"

"Lead the way." The bearded man replied.

Just before they left, Squall caught the tattooed man by the arm, a thought having just crossed his mind. "If this is Tidus' home, that means it's yours too, right?"

Jecht pressed his lips together in a thin line. "Not exactly."

"But do you know of this island?" He scarred man pressed.

"Besaid? Oh yeah, I know of it."

"Is there a village nearby?"

"In the Besaid Island that I know of, yes."

A glint of hope shone in Squall's eyes. "Where?"

Jecht turned to face the beach and pointed with his finger toward a large, empty space of sand and grass.

"Right there." He said to everyone's dismay.

xxxxxxxx

Cloud thought going out to find wood with Jecht had been a good idea. It would offer him a chance to check out the island and hopefully find a way for them to leave. But Jecht had other plans.

"Boy, that kid is a pain in the butt." The tatooed man said, stretching, his muscles tightening like steel cables.

"You should go easy on him." Cloud replied, looking up at a tree that seemed big enough to provide them with wood. "He is your son, after all."

"Eh? No, not Tidus, the other one. Whatzhisname, Squall. Barkin' orders like he owns us. I'm just saying he's like sand in my underpants."

But the former SOLDIER was too busy to pay any real attention. He was hacking away at the tree, his blade taking huge bites off with each blow. Jecht stood and grinned, leaning on his sword lazily. It a matter of half a minute Cloud was crying 'timber'.

Shaking his head, Jecht walked away, found a similar tree and quickly inspected it. Nodding in satisfaction he lifted his sword, leaned back, gave Cloud a quick smirk, then unleashed one powerful swing. It was like the tree wasn't even there. The honed edge of the sword cleaved through the wood effortlessly, sending the tree to the wet sand with a heavy thud. Jecht threw his sword in the air with a spin, caught it, and gave the young man a sideways look.

"You should sharpened your sword every once in a while." He taunted.

The rain was still falling, the wind was cold, but deep within the blond man a fire was burning. It wasn't like the older man was trying to get him into a macho match, but he obviously wanted to measure Cloud's strength. Cloud wondered at the feeling he was getting. He had never felt the need to prove himself before, why was he feeling this way know?

"We have to get back to the others." He found himself saying, rather unconvincingly.

"Ha!" was all Jecht said.

Cloud approached the tree he had felled, stood at the base so that he was looking at it strewn out straight in front of him. Buster sword poised above his head, Cloud concentrated his energy into the blade, feeling the tips of his fingers tingle with power. With a deep breath he brought his massive sword striking downward, releasing a wave of energy which violently split the whole palm tree in two. Bits of wood fell everywhere along with the rain.

"Kind of messy." Jecht pointed out. "To be the best, you have to have speed and skill."

He made a dash for the tree Cloud had divided, running along it's side, hitting it repeatedly as he went. What was once a tree three minutes before was at present fire wood and kindling. Cloud had to admit it was a very unusual way to chop up a tree, but it had been fun.

"Ya think this will be enough?" Tidu's father was loading up split logs into his arms.

"We can always come back." Cloud shivered. Had it gotten colder?

Without warning, Jecht fell forward, spilling the wood he was holding, hitting the ground face first. The sight cause Could to give a start, but when he tried to go help, his knees gave out. Sinking to the sandy beach, Cloud was at a lost as to what was happening. Looking at his hands, he saw that the tips of his fingers were blue. He was freezing!

"Poor dear." He heard a voice say, but was too paralyzed to look in the direction it was coming from.

"Are you unable to get up and defend yourself? Is my magic that powerful?"

Finally the person came into view. It was a woman, tall and badly dressed, especially for the current weather. But she didn't seem to even feel the rainy winds, let alone be affected by them. Cloud could barely noticed what looked like deformed snakes attached to her back, their faces hovering near him. The buster sword was still in his grasp, but he couldn't even move is own hands to use it. She leaned in close, her white hair moving as though it was alive. She smiled at him venomously and whispered.

"Don't worry. This won't hurt."

Suddenly a beam of hot energy shot out of her hand and hit Cloud square in the chest. He gave out a quick cry before all went black.

xxxxxxx

It wasn't there.

When Tidus left the others at the cave to go get food, he had lied. It was true he knew where to get food, but that wasn't what he was going to do. Since arriving on the island, realizing it was Besaid, he had been on the verge of hysteria. If the island had been restored, was Yuna back? Had their house returned to it's place on the beach? He had to know.

But when he finally arrived, out of breath and soaked from running, shaking out of excitement more than chill, his heart dropped at seeing nothing but open sand and ocean. Yuna wasn't here. She probably didn't even exist on Primus. Makenshi did tell them that the cosmic monster Black Wind used certain things from other realms to build this reality. Maybe the only thing it used was Besaid.

Tidus knew he had to find food now, but none of the island's many trees and bushes had fruit on them. He hadn't seen a single bird, monkey, or insect since they all showed up on Primus. Why? Was the realm still incomplete?

The young blitzball player look out toward the ocean, it's large waves crashing loudly on the shore. Maybe he could find some fish?

"If I do, we'll be able to eat. That is if we can get a fire going." Tidus spoke outloud, tired of hearing nothing saved for winds and waves.

As he walked out into the sea, he frowned, noticing how warm the water was. "In this climate, it should be freezing." He reasoned.

But it was far too welcoming for him to complain. Delving into the tropical waters, Tidus felt a delightful ripple of warmth wrap around him. It felt good, like being in a blanket or sipping a warm drink. For a moment he simply drifted, arms outstretched, relaxing. He hadn't gone swimming for a long time. Memories of playing his favorite sport flashed by. It was back during a time things were more simple. They weren't better, but far easier to understand. Opening his eyes, Tidus began to swim, cutting through the water with experienced ease. The deeper he went, the warmer it got, the faster he would go. Only after a moment he realized that there were no fish.

Movement caught his eye. No, it wasn't something that moved, it was a beam of light that flickered for a moment then disappeared. Where was it coming from? Tidus was running out of air. He quickly surfaced, filling his lungs with cold air, and went under again. The water was dark with the sun hidden behind all those storm clouds. But he was able to make out what looked like a crevasse on the ocean's floor. He would've missed it if the light that had glimmered a moment earkier hadn't reappeared, the same way one might shine a light past a window. The was something down there.

Tidus swam down thirty feet, an easy depth for someone like him. The water was now getting hot, enough for him to notice. Was the light heating the water? He was looking into the large crack now, and saw only more black, with the occasional flash of a strong, white light. The seawater was very hot know, and it was rising from the cleft. The young man shied away. He wasn't there to explore. He had to find food.

More flashes. Tidus' curiosity got the better of him and decided to take another look. What he saw made his mouth gape, letting bubbles escape to the surface. It was a man! The bright light was originating from a man who was floating deep within the crevasse! He was too far away for Tidus to get a good look, but the young man knew whoever he was, he needed help.

Going up for another breath, Tidus went back, braving the depth and the heat of the water to reach the person. It got really hard the deeper he went. It wasn't the water pressure, nor the temperature. It was the light. It was absolutely blinding to the point Tidus had to shut his eyes before they burned out. He would crack them open every few seconds, trying to get his bearings, doing his best to find the man who was trapped down there. His lungs started to burn, his eyes were red, and he was hopelessly disoriented.

His groping fingers grazed something hard to his left. Tidus reached out in that direction, felt was could've been an arm and held fast. Suddenly the glare along with the heat vanished. It was stone cold all of a sudden, which was a relief. Any longer and he would've been a lobster in a boiling pot. Tidus open his eyes, seeing only darkness. The light had dissapeared too suddenly, he now had to wait for his eyes to adjust. But his need for air was too overwhelming. He to surface immediately!

An idea came. Tidus released a strew of bubbles, both hearing and feeling where they were going as they escaped from his mouth. They went straight down his body. He was swimming in wrong direction, going deeper. Tidus turned around as quickly as he could and gave whatever he had left. A short burst of adrenaline later, they breached the surface.

"I got ya." Tidus said as he heaved for breath. "We'll be one dry land in no time."

When they reached the beach, Tidus laid out the man he fished out of the sea on his back.

"I just spent…all that time for a guy…weighed down in armor! No wonder I felt like I was towing a shoopuf!"

It didn't look like he was breathing.

"Oh no." Tidus groaned. "Please wake up. I don't want to do mouth to mouth."

The man was motionless. Tidus pressed his ear to the man's chest, unable to find a pulse. It was to be expected. No telling how long he was underwater. Tidus, exhausted, fell over on the sand, dizzy, weary, and terribly cold at the moment. He thought that if he just laid there and went to sleep, when he woke up he would be back in his home with Yuna, Lulu and Wakka, ready to eat a hot breakfast.

But the sudden sound of a drawn sword stirred him up. Standing over him was the man Tidus just saved, a blade being firmly pressed to his throat.

"You've…got…to be…kidding me." The blitz star mumbled in disbelief.

The man's chest, legs, shoulder and arms were covered in blue and white armor. The sword he had was curved, and sharp enough to cut rock. His head was bare save for a golden brow band, and his hair was white like mountain snow. He was, to say the least, a bit scary.

The man's skin was pale, but there was no doubt he was strong. The muscles were well defined in his forearms and neck. He looked down at Tidus with grey eyes which looked slightly insane.

"I sense a darkness within you." The man said, his voice sounding surprisingly young. "Yet it has not overtaken your soul. I will spare you for now."

"How nice." Tidus said, the tension giving away. Normally he would be asking questions, trying to make sense of it all, but ever since Black Wind appeared in the sky that fateful day, Tidus was ready to accept almost anything.

"I'm Tidus. What's you're name?"

Pulling away, the armored man looked inland, toward the tall mountains of the island. "I am a paladin."

The blond man stared. "Uh…ok. But what is you're name?"

"I don't know."

"You mean you can't remember?"

The knight shook his head. "No, not that. My memories are intact, but I do not have all of them. He has the rest."

"He has the rest?" Tidus had just about enough with mysteries. "Rrright. Well, I must get going. I trust you will be alright on your own?"

"The air grows cloder. It is a bad sign."

The paladin was right. Tidus could no longer feel the tips of his fingers and toes. The wind was more violent, and the rain grew heavier. Tidus sneezed loudly, whereas the man he saved didn't even flinch.

"Darkness is strong. She draws life from her victims!" The man looked over his shoulder at Tidus, eyes wild. "She kills as we speak! Hurry!"

The knight sped off, Tidus close behind. He was still trying to understand what the guy was trying to say, but the words 'killing' and 'victims' was enough to get him going. As they ran, Tidus noticed the knight was leading them right back to the cave where the others were taking refuge. He could already hear sounds of cashing metal and what sounded like explosions of magic. His friends were under attack!

xxxxxxx

Tifa had seen Jecht and Cloud silhouettes in the distance, hoping they were returning with wood. Too anxious to wait, she ran out to meet them. The storm was worse, but she was hopeful that they would all be warm before long.

"Did you find anything?" She asked, seeing their hands empty save for their swords.

They didn't reply.

"Cloud?" She asked.

Without warning, Cloud attacked, his buster sword kicking up loads of sand as it missed Tifa by inches and hit the ground. Tifa jumped back in surprise.

"What are you doing?" She demanded. "Is this more of your training? You almost killed me-"

Cloud's kick sent her stumbling to the ground. Fortunately, Zidane and Squall had also come to meet the two men, and were able to save the brunette just before Cloud could finish her. Squall countered with his gunblade, his face showing the same look and Tifa's. Zidane gave out a cry of warning just before Jecht stabbed Squall from behind.

"What's wrong with you?" Squall was dancing away, batting away sword strikes. "You both nuts?!"

"Look! Their eyes!" Zidane shouted over the wind to be heard. "Something is different about their eyes."

It was true. Tifa always loved Cloud's bright mako eyes. But now they were dull and lifeless. It wasn't Cloud.

The fight broke out immediately. Jecht struck at the gnome, his power more than a match for the young Zidane. But the thief had incredible agility and reflexes, dodging the blows. Zidane retrieved his weapons and attacked the older man with a hail of strikes. Jecht countered each one. Squall took on Cloud, pulling the trigger to his weapon to give it more destructive power. Tifa joined in with Zidane, figuring the SeeD trained man could better handle himself.

Back at the cave, Zell had just caught sight of the fighting.

"The heck?" He said. "What are they doing over there?"

Garnet was turning pale, holding her stomach. Vivi saw her turning green.

"What's wrong? You look sick." Vivi said in concern.

Garnet had a hard time breathing. "S-something is coming!"

The air suddenly filled with a terrible explosion, knocking the three to their feet. Zell came to first, gun in hand. He stepped outside, trying to see through the cloud of dust. When it cleared, his jaw dropped to see two figure standing not too far away. One was a man clad head to toe in black armor, the other was a caped woman flying in the air, her hands bright with ready to use magic. Zell pumped his rifle.

"I'm gonna count to three…" He began.

The dark knight dashed forward, forcing Zell to use his gun to block an attack from a bloodsword. The two of them were locked, the knight trying to force Zell to his knees.

"Alright." Zell said through gritted teeth. "Three!"

With one fluid motion, Zell spun the man around using his martial arts experience and shot the attacker in the back. The pellets didn't bust through the armor, but the force knocked him down. Zell pumped again and aimed high for the woman, but saw nothing other than dark clouds.

"Where'd she-"

A bolt of lightning ran throughout his body, stunning him badly. Unable to take in a breath due to the pain, Zell was only semi-conscious enough to tell he was down and that the woman in question was looking downwards at him. She was smiling wickedly, evil oozing for every pore. She raised her right hand, showing him the electric Sparks running in between her fingers.

"This one will put you under forever. Just do me a favor and scream as loud as you can."

Garnet and Vivi ran out to confront Cloud of Darkness before she could carry out her threat. Garnet's staff flashed with a casting, and a reflective barrier fell around Zell.

"Whatever you use on him will be sent right back at you!" Garnet said, her stance and voice showing she wasn't afraid. Vivi, however, was partially concealed behind her.

The white-haired woman leaned her head to one side, staring wide-eyed at the princess to the point her courage wavered.

"Cecil." She said calmly.

The dark knight rose to his feet. "Yes, mistress?"

"Get me their heads. Start with the one with the hat."

Vivi began to quake. "Oh boy."

_A/N Sorry for the wait. I know there is somethings in this chapter that don't make much sense, like why is there two Cecils, and what was up with the whole underwater scene? I will explain in the next chapter._

_This is a fanfic based on a fightning game, but I want to have more than just that. Character and story telling is most important. Please feel free to review!_


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